Eat My Shatkins

Pretty exciting coming off that run knowing you already have (what looks like) a very good team coming back, but there is money to spend to make it even better, AND because of the recent success and Blue Jays nation being in the spotlight in a positive way, there is a very good chance the Jays will be able to actually land some difference makers this off season.

Is Imai going to get a similar contract to Yamamoto? Or is he going to come in cheaper? Is he comparable to Yamamoto talent wise?

Welp, I guess it's time to spend $350 million and build a super team then.

Jays have a lot of money coming off the books next off season. Like roughly $90 million with Bieber, Gausman, Springer, Varsho, Yimi, Straw and Lauer. I can see a scenario where they go above the highest LTT of $304 million for one year. Bring back Bo, and then build a stacked rotation and bullpen. Bo 7x189 / Cease 5x130 / Suarez 2x30 / Seranthony 2x16 DH - Springer (R) RF - Barger (L) 1B - Vladdy (R) 2B - Bo (R) LF - Santander (S) C - Kirk (R) CF - Varsho (L) 3B - Clement (R) SS - Giminez (L) Bench - (C) Heineman / (OF) Lukes / (OF) Straw / (UT) Schneider SP1 - Gausman SP2 - Cease SP3 - Bieber SP4 - Yesavage SP5 - Berrios CL - Suarez SU8 - Hoffman SU7 - Garcia MR - Varland MR - Dominguez MR - Fluharty MR - Little LR - Lauer There is also Fisher, Sandlin, Rodriguez, Francis, Bastardo, etc to build from. Just run with with the performers. About $323,000,000 I think, all in with about $90 million coming off after 2026.

Agreed, I don't see it happening either. But like I said, the team is really good right now as is. If they spend $50 million more it will be really good. If I have to pick, I go with Bo and a good starter. Cease, Imai, Suarez would be my picks in that order.

Yeah, I agree with Jonn. I don't like the rules of this game based on the limited budget. They have something brewing with this team, and should continue to increase payroll to try and get over the top. Our pitching was so MID last season, rotation and bullpen. It was OK, but not great. Just steady eddy I guess. They still won 94 games despite a slow start and being in the toughest division in MLB. I think this team as it stands right now is good enough to push for a 5th playoff appearance in 7 years, The whole position player roster is returning except for Bo, and the entire bullpen except for Dominguez. Plus, they've already upgraded the rotation from what it was last season just by having Bieber and Yesavage for the whole year if they stay healthy. If they just stood pat they're very competitive most likely. But they should go for broke. 1. They should be matching the best offer Bo sees and bring him back, preferably as the 2B. If he gets his big pay day I doubt he'd have an issue with that. 2. Stack the rotation. One more quality starter like Cease or Suarez would be huge, but if they could land two of them they'd be ridiculously deep, much deeper than the 94 win team in 2025. 3. Pay up for a high end closer. I don't like dumping huge money into the pen, too much volatility. But it's worth the risk if it can be afforded by Rogers, which after the latest run I'm sure they can manage it. So you'd basically have last years position player roster, with a stacked and much improved rotation, and the same pen but now a potentially better closer option and also a full year of Varland as well as Yimi if he's healthy again. Likely see a 95-100 win season.

I think Yesavage has good enough stuff that it won't matter too much what the hitters know or don't know, if he's got his A game going on any give night he will shut teams down. It just remains to be seen if he can stay healthy and consistently bring his best stuff and locate when he pitches. I could see 4-5 fWAR next season. 6+ is certainly a stretch, but I love the optimism.

Get him to quit tipping his pitches. He has 104 saves the last 4 seasons and hits triple digits. I like triple digits.

fg crowd source has Helsley at 2 years $10.8 million AAV All day long yes please

Bo, Cease, Helsley and Imai would be one hell of an off season. Also would be happy if you replaced Cease with Suarez, Helsley with Suarez and Imai with Ponce.

You can't guarantee a return to the world series.

On paper this team should be going after one of the closers to strengthen the bullpen, Helsley, Saurez, Diaz all available as FA's So volatile though, and it seems as though you rarely get the bang for your buck when you pay big money for these guys, at least in terms of fWAR. But is fWAR a good gauge for evaluating a relievers value? Astros paid $19 million AAV for Hader last year and he only put up 1.1 fWAR. The guy is nails though. And as for volatility, look no further than Helsley himself who was an excellent reliever for 3.5 seasons and then after being traded to the Mets last year, just straight up shat the bed. I'll ever forget Brad Hand being a good reliever for a long time, coming to the Jays mid season and blowing chunks down the stretch while the Jays missed the playoffs by a single game with 91 wins. Then he went to free agency, signed elsewhere and immediately went back to being a good reliever again. If Yimi comes back strong and can stay healthy, he'll be a big boost. But if they were to pay for Helsley and he was as good as he's been in St. Louis, I think it'd be worth it. Tough gamble though and could be just wasting payroll. If payroll isn't really a worry though because they are going all in I'd be inclined to pay up for a closer like that and take the gamble.

I thought it was the opposite??

Highly unlikely but man would it be cool if after these years the Jays surprised everyone and finally pulled off a deal to pry Jose Ramirez out of Cleveland for the last few years of his deal. Dude is still a top 5 player in MLB and just imagine an infield defense with JoRam at 3B, Giminez at SS, Clement at 2B and Vladdy at 1B. Maybe he sees all his old buddies just loving life with the Jays and asks out haha

From the presser "Jeff himself is not married to being the closer, is open to anything that makes the team better" While I'm not big on pouring money into the bullpen (so volatile) I wonder if they take a shot at Edwin Diaz or Robert Suarez? Iglesias out there too, older but durable and still performing well. Helsely as well

Jomboy did a video on the tail end of game 7. EFF me that was not a fun watch. Anyways, he had no issue with IKF's lead. He dug up tons of comparables and every single one of the runners was forced out at home when the ball was hit directly to the 2B and he didn't bobble it or mess up the throw. He also showed a ton of examples of runners getting back picked at 3B because they took too big a secondary lead and the defending team put a pick play on. There was even one where Clement got picked off vs the Rockies and McMahon was more than twice as far off the bag on that play as Muncy was and they still got Clement. Could you imagine the backlash if IKF was taking too big of a secondary and got picked off in that scenario? Jomboy did mention that he didn't thin IKF should have slid though, and if he hadn't he might have beaten it out because of how Smith's foot lifted off the plate for a split second before IKF slid in. Phucking hurts man.

I agree, that's why I'm thinking they will go hard after one of the top FA starters. With just Berrios and Yesavage under control in '27 they will want to have another solid starting pitcher under control I would think. Plus they get to keep the prospects. Goddamn would our rotation be awesome on paper if they added Skubal though.

Many don't think so but I do. He's one of the best starters in the game but only has 1 year for control left. Plus two of the biggest suitors for him have loaded rotations already, being the Yankees and Dodgers. I could certainly see the Mets and Red Sox taking a run at him though, which would drive up the price for sure.

Let's say they land Cease and bring back Bo for 2B. How does that stack up from last years 94 win team that also won 10 playoff games? 1. Bo at 2B and Giminez at SS 2. Full year of Bieber instead of Bassitt 3. Cease instead of Lauer in the rotation 4. Full year of Yesavage instead of Scherzer 5. 300 more PA's for Varsho, 300 less for Lukes and Straw 6. Full year of hopefully a healthy Santander (-0.9 fWAR to 1.3 fWAR is a net positive of 2.2 fWAR) That could be fun. Just hoping the Jays get one of Cease/Suarez/Valdez and one of Bo/Tucker/Belly Make the Yankees their beeyotch again

The only starters under control for 2027 are Berrios and Yesavage. Have to think the Jays will be gunning hard for one of Cease/Saurez/Valdez.

Most likely, and with Barger getting some reps at 3B but mostly in RF.

I would love it if the Jays could get Varsho extended. Would solidify the middle of the diamond for multiple years with Giminez at SS, Clement at 2B, Kirk at C and Varsho in CF. Even better if they can lock down Bo with the agreement he moves to 2B. While he obviously isn't the defensive player Clement is, I think he'd be an above average 2B with the 130 wRC+ bat.

The only way the Jays trade Yesavage is if they've had a good look from the inside under the hood and don't think his performance is sustainable. Kid has ice in his veins. An MLB regular season is going to be a walk in the park for him probably after having nothing but pressure filled starts to this point.

Obviously, Bieber knowing he'll be pitching in a contract year with the best defense in baseball behind him and a legit chance to win factored in huge here.

Does Nimmala, Tiedemann, King get you Skubal?